TELEHEALTH IN MEDICARE: HERE TO STAY? Telehealth services and the technologies needed for such procedures are nothing new. They were already in progress and en route to being widely accepted before the start of this year and the COVID-19 public health emergency. However, due to the PHE, telehealth became the premier source of care - being widely accepted and, in many cases, the only avenue through which medical attention could be accessed. As we have no real way of knowing the PHE’s end, there is no approaching end date for telehealth and its services. Not to mention, with its proven track record thus far, it may very well become the preferred method of care for many patients. Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, especially. While telehealth will never replace the gold-standard of an in-person doctor’s visit, it serves as an important addition to access. Its rapid explosion in recent months has raised the question of whether returning to the status quo will turn back the clock on innovation and a new level of care. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is one such innovation under question should Medicare revert to pre-pandemic telehealth service limitations.
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| TOPDOCTORMAGAZINE
